Tom Brown's Guide to Healing the Earth

by Tom Brown Jr.

As a child he was taught to respect nature by an Apache elder he called Grandfather, now as a bestselling author and master tracker Tom Brown, Jr., shares his secrets for nurturing and saving our planet.

Tom Brown, Jr., is America's most acclaimed outdoorsman, tracker, and teacher. When he was eight he met Stalking Wolf, an Apache elder who taught the young man how to survive in the wild, and more importantly, how to value our place in the natural order.

For more than three decades, Tom Brown, Jr., has shared these insights with the world through teaching, writing, and film. Now, for the first time, he has detailed actions that each of us can take to help heal our ailing planet.

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Philosophy

240 pages, Paperback

First published November 26, 2019

About the author

Tom Brown Jr. was an American naturalist, tracker, survivalist, and author from New Jersey, where he ran the Tom Brown Jr. Tracker School.
In his books, Brown wrote that, from the age of seven, he and his childhood friend Rick were trained in tracking and wilderness survival by Rick's grandfather, "Stalking Wolf" (whom Brown stated was Lipan Apache). Brown wrote that Stalking Wolf died when Brown was 17, and that Rick was killed in an accident in Europe shortly thereafter.
Brown spent the next ten years working odd jobs to support his wilderness adventures. He then set out to find other people in New Jersey who were interested in his experiences. Initially Brown met with little success, but was eventually called on to help locate a crime suspect. Though the case won him national attention, he and authorities in the Ramsey, N.J. area were subsequently sued for 5 million dollars for charging the wrong person. Despite this controversy, he was able to build on this exposure to develop a profession as a full-time tracker, advertising his services for locating lost persons, dangerous animals, and fugitives from the law. According to People magazine, "He stalks men and animals, mostly in New Jersey."

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 From the title one can easily discern what this book is about and it's timely nature. Climate crisis is often on the news, in documentaries and the many books we read warning us of its dire effects. This book is divided into chapters each deals with a subject that is necessary to our lives. Shelter, water, fire, food etc.

With each subject the author explains how he was taught to view each of these items, and the ways we are basically ruining them. What makes this book different is that at the end of each chapter he tells us what we can do now to effect change. No action is too small, but the object is to start and keep going. At books end there are exercises and stories from students at his school.

"The third choice is to take actions small and collective, to be aware of the environments you move through, interacting and caring for them as a caretaker and a healer of our Earth mother."

"Indigenous people know that the wood we burn in our fires is much more than a piece of firewood. They view the wood they burn as a combination of solid sunshine, rainwater and air. Tress and plants are the future soils of life. As the wood decays, it not only provides fresh nutrients to our soil, but is used by animals and insects as their homes and shelters."

As one can see everything on Earth is connected, and we haven't been very good caretakers. We have taken a great many things for granted, not mindfully considering the choices we make.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and poignant book about saving our environment.
I loved the style of writing and I think it's full of food for thought.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Debbie Tremel · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can make a difference

In a time when this is so critical, Tom Brown Jr. brings an important message, what each of us does can make a difference in healing the Earth, and each of us is responsible. He approaches this healing, this partaking, first by encouraging us to deepen our connection with nature. He shares stories of his life that demonstrate the potentials. He also share very specific and achievable actions we can take, whether we live near a wilderness or a downtown apartment. This book is a call to action but also a call to live a passionate life with a close relationship with the Earth. The book melds our physical and spiritual lives into a beautiful tapestry in which walk in harmony with the world around us.

[Kelli Santistevan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here’s what this book is about:”As a child he was taught to respect nature by an Apache elder he called Grandfather, now as a best-selling author and master tracker Tom Brown, Jr., shares his secrets for nurturing and saving our planet.”

I won a physical ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway in 2019 but I listened to it on Audible. I like nature and I thought this book was interesting. I learned a lot and I think this book is good to read to spread awareness about what’s going on but I didn’t find the suggestions that were given very helpful or practical so I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Berkley Publishers for the free copy I received.
It was something I would not have picked up on my own and I enjoyed the author’s view of the world.
A very timely reminder that we need to take care of the Earth and some simple ways to do so.
Some may find the natural ways taught to the author by his Apache “grandfather “ a bit off- putting. I found them thought provoking and honest.
Highly recommended for anyone who hopes to have a clean environment to pass on for future generations.

[Erin Utt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I love the ideas that this book communicates. Basically it is about feeling more connected to the earth and seeing ourselves as a part of everything, not separate from the natural world. It's also about being a "caretaker" of the planet, which was probably the most gripping part of the book for me. I just found that some of it felt repetitive after a while. While the chapters would start out being unique in their ideas and lessons, ultimately they would circle back to the same overall message of the book. Love the message.. but could have done without so much of the fluffy filler.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his book Guide to Healing the Earth, Tom Brown reminds us that we all are caretakers of this earth. Brown offers true-tested advice that we can use to help the earth heal. He reminds us that one person can make a difference to bring about change. I highly recommend this book.

[Andrew Mathis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although there were pieces of indigenous knowledge spinkled throughout this book, there were very few concrete ideas of what people can do to combat climate change. Large sections of this book felt like an advertisement for the author's classes.

[Cat B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my most favorite + most important to my life n self books 🥲🙂‍↕️🙏🫀

the creation of a drop of water passage makes me cry every time. (as do many other passages)

changed me so deeply /and returned me to so much

[Isley Forrester · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kiddo swiped this book, read it twice and said it was great.

[Doris Raines · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT A WOW BOOK I LOVE THIS BOOK 👍🏽. WELL SAID 🤙🍿😎♥️🙏🏼🎄

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is all about the author’s “grandfather’s vision”, a Southern Lipan Apache elder, and his amazing teaching methods. The co-author benefited also from this teaching at the Tracker School. He adds his own perspective at the end of most chapters, with a nice narrative of meditation and prayer in nature.

VERDICT: Good book to become more aware of the need to be a healer of the Earth. But concretely, not very helpful.

My full review is here: https://wordsandpeace.com/2019/11/25/...